House panel OKs advance funding for VA

The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee approved eight bills Wednesday, including landmark legislation to provide funding for veterans health care programs one year in advance — an effort to avoid disruption if Congress fails to complete its work on time, as it usually does.

The committee also approved bills that would:

• Revise rules for proving combat-related disability claims, making it easier for women and support troops to be approved for benefits and health care.

• Order VA to compile a complete list of scholarships available to veterans and survivors.

Approval of HR 1016, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009, came on a 21-0 vote that masks an undercurrent of controversy and the possibility that an amendment to the bill —approved on a 17-8 vote — might derail the whole package.